Ch. 10, Hearing Flashcards
sound waves
stimulus for audition
mechanica stimulus
waves of compression and rarefaction (opposite of compression, decompression)
amplitude
meausirng from top to bottom on a sound wave
3 physical properties of sound waves
frequency: number of cylces per second, measured in Hz
2. amplitude, stimulus intensity/strength
3. complexity: mix of frequencies and amplitudes present in a single waveform
waveform
more complex?
frequency
produces pitch perception, the rate at which sound waves vibrate
amplitude
produces our perception of loudness, measured in decibals (dB)
magniotuder of change in air molecule density
every 10 decibal increase = 10x louder
100 or more decibals will cause permanent hearing damage after 15 minutes
complexity
produces timbre, perception of sound quality, allows us to distinguish between diff sounds
whales and dolphins
hear lower and higher freuqencies thanus
soft sounds vs loud sounds
soft: 20 decibals
loud sound: 70 decibals
sound wave complexity; Pure tones vs complex tones; fundamental frequency vs overtone
pure tones: sounds with single frequency
complex tones: sounds with a mixture of frequencies
fundamental frequency: lowest frequency of complex waveform?
overtone: everything else that is not fundamental; An overtone is a resonant frequency that is higher than the fundamental frequency of a sound. Overtone frequencies are whole-number multiples of the fundamental frequency. For example, if the fundamental frequency is 131 Hz, then the first overtone would be 262 Hz, the second overtone would be 393 Hz, and so on.
outer ear structures and 3 functions
pinna: acts like a funnel to collect sound
external ear canal: The external auditory canal, or ear canal, focuses sound waves onto the eardrum, or tympanic membrane, for further transmission:
The external ear’s functions include:
1. Amplification
The external ear can amplify sound pressure
2. Sound localization
The pinna and concha filter different sound frequencies to help determine the elevation of the sound source.
3. Protection
The ear canal contains ceruminous glands that produce earwax to help keep insects and debris out.
middle ear structures
EARDRUM IS PART OF MIDDLE EAR
ossiciles: hammer (malleus), anvil (incus), stirrup (staples): vibrate at the same frequency of sound waves, The auditory ossicles—malleus, incus, and stapes—are three small bones in the middle ear that transmit air vibrations from the outer ear into the inner ear, so they can be processed as sound.
OVAL WINDOW IS ALSO MIDDLE EAR
bipolar neurons
sensory neurons thsat make up the auditory nerve
organ of corti, cochlea
includses basilar membrane: narrow, thick base: processers high frequency
wide thin top: processes lower frequencies
sound waves at medium frequency are processed in middle
outer hair cells: motor function, not auditory
inner hair cells: auditory
tectorial membrane
cilia
In the auditory system, cilia are hair cells in the inner ear that convert sound waves into electrical impulses that travel to the brain:
basilar membrane, cochlea
narrow, thick base: processers high frequency
wide thin top: processes lower frequencies
sound waves at medium frequency are processed in middle
tenoitis
ringing or buzzing in ear, due to death of inner hair cells (could be caused by something else)
what happens when the cilia on inner hair cells bend?
graded potentials are generated, which affects the firing rate of auditory (cochlear) nerve neurons= how sound gets transduced